I'll Always Be Your Lord
by Izreina Maxwell
Summary: Takeru is starting to realize there might be feelings towards one of his vassals. But he can't bring himself to admit it.
1. Denial

Author's Note: It's been some time since I submitted anything. It's been some time since I've written anything.

I've only recently started writing Super Sentai fanfiction. This is my first Shinkenger fanfic. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own it. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. :)

Samurai Sentai: Shinkenger

I'll Always Be Your Lord

Part I – Denial

Takeru had been practicing since the early hours of the morning. Why? He didn't really know. The Gedoushu were defeated. Oh, sure, there were occasional attacks from Nanashi, but he easily took care of them. Hell, that was what he did before his vassals had joined him. But it was nothing that required the degree of training he'd been doing. This was just his way of venting. Something was on his mind, but he couldn't figure out what, and it was frustrating. There was an odd feeling in his chest. And the looks he was receiving from his mentor, Hikoma, were just adding to his frustration.

What the Hell…?

He lowered his katana as he heard giggling from behind, glancing over his shoulder at Hikoma speaking with his adoptive mother, Kaoru. His look was filled with annoyance but that only made Kaoru and Hikoma both laugh.

Again… What the Hell…?

"Takeru, come rest a while. Have lunch with me."

As annoyed as Takeru was, not to mention the weight on his mind that he couldn't figure out, he would rather have continued training. But he couldn't ignore a request from Kaoru. Besides, maybe she'd give him some clue as to what made her and Hikoma so… if he didn't know any better, he'd say they were giddy.

Takeru and Kaoru had become closer since they all parted ways. She may be his mother on paper, but she was still younger than him. It was odd to call her mother. They were still family, the relationship almost like a brother and sister

He put his katana away and took a towel offered by one of the kuroko as he followed Kaoru back into the house.

Kaoru had her fan open, but Takeru noticed it was more to hide her smile than it was for cooling herself, or for beating Tanba over the head, who he noticed was missing. She cleared her throat a bit, forcing her smile away before she lowered the fan, folding it as she put it away.

"I sent Tanba shopping," she said as she took her seat. "I figured we needed to talk. Hikoma has been a little worried about you. He says you don't sleep well, you rarely eat. All you do is train… ever since you got Kotoha's letter…" She smiled again, this time hidden by her cup.

She had to wait until he was taking a drink to say anything about Kotoha's letter. He coughed and sputtered as he set his cup down. Was it the letter from Kotoha that had his nerves so on edge? There was nothing really upsetting about the letter. She was going to be in town for a few days while her sister visited with a doctor and asked if she could stay at the mansion. Takeru hadn't seen a problem with it.

But then… thinking about it… the closer it got to the date that Kotoha would be visiting… the worse that feeling in his chest was. He understood, now… sort of… He understood that Hikoma and Kaoru knew what that feeling was. And it pissed him off that they weren't telling him.

"You're anxious for her visit…"

Takeru could hear the smile in her voice, even though he couldn't see it. Why the hell wouldn't he be anxious to a certain degree? She and the other vassals were the only people he could consider friends. Hell, they _were_ friends. These people would sacrifice their lives for him and he for them. As close as they all had become, everything felt empty when they left.

They kept in touch, letters, the occasional phone call or text. But there was nothing in Kotoha's letter to cause him to be so anxious.

"It'll be strange without the others, yes?"

Well… yeah… there was that. Not once has he been at the mansion with one vassal and not the others.

"I could ask the others to come… like a samurai reunion…," Takeru mused aloud. "But… I can't just ask them to just drop their lives on such short notice… Plus, Mako and Genta are both in other countries… It wouldn't be fair to them…"

"No, it wouldn't." She smiled as she set her cup down. "Does it bother you to be alone with Kotoha?"

Takeru spit out the mouthful of tea he'd just taken in. Damn it, she did it again, and she was enjoying it, that was the annoying part. He shot her a glare as reached for a napkin, coughing.

She completely ignored him as she nibbled on her food. She smiled again, not even looking at him. "Kotoha is cute, isn't she?"

And damn it if she didn't giggle when he attempted to stumble over a response, but he just couldn't get his brain to work right.

She sighed. "My little Take-chan is in love…"

No, no, no, no… Takeru shook his head, turning away from her to hide the color in his face. Not possible. No way. He was Lord, she was his vassal. Things don't work that way. Plus, the fact that she was so much younger than he was. No, he wasn't in love. Though he admitted, any man would be lucky to have her. He could count a hundred things about her that were admirable. But she didn't deserve just any man. She deserved the best. She deserved someone who would stand by her, protect her, put her on a pedestal. He couldn't do that for her. To her, he'd always be her Lord.

Genta had always been his best friend. Chiaki had accepted him as an equal. Mako was almost like a sister. Sure, he'd always be Lord to Ryunosuke, but that was the way the kabuki actor was raised. Kotoha was never supposed to have been Shinken Yellow, but she learned quickly. She took her new role seriously. She started off as the weakest link, but eventually, Takeru decided she may have become the strongest. Or maybe because of that one event where they almost lost her, where they all decided they would willingly fall to Gedou in order to save her life. That was, he thought, the first time they were really all united, for her sake…

Hard to believe that was a year ago. Holy crap… almost exactly a year. That means…

"Kotoha's birthday…" He hadn't realized he said it aloud as he got to his feet and ducked into his room.

He closed the door behind him. He needed to make plans, do something. Kotoha deserved something for her birthday. They couldn't get the others together for a party, but he could do something for her. It wasn't fair for her to spend her birthday alone. But Kaoru had made an excellent point. He was afraid to be with her without the other vassals.

Why? First of all, he wasn't the most social of people. Sure he'd loosened up with the others around. But there was always the others there to provoke it. Kotoha was always the quiet one, so innocent. Takeru didn't know how to be the one to instigate conversation. He didn't know how to talk to her. She deserved something better than that. And the party last year had such meaning. He didn't know if he could top it.

Why was he concerned about that? Why was he concerned at all about her birthday? Last year they almost lost her.

He sighed as he threw his head back against the door, wincing slightly. He'd held her in his arms, as she lay dying, promising her that he'd save her. Why did he care? She was his vassal, it was her duty to lay her life down for him. Why did he care? Why did he want so much to save her?

Maybe Kaoru's words were truth? Maybe he was in love with her?

He shook his head. Nope. Couldn't be. She was his friend, he wanted to do something nice for her birthday. That's as far as it went. He'd always be her Lord.


	2. Unrequited Love

Author's Note: So here's Part 2! Please enjoy!

Samurai Sentai: Shinkenger

I'll Always Be Your Lord

Part II – Unrequited Love

Takeru couldn't stand still. He paced nervously in front of the mansion. Irritated, because Kaoru was sitting on a bench, her fan hiding an amused grin he knew she had on her face. Because Hikoma had the same grin as he stood behind her. He didn't even bother to try to hide it. Takeru didn't know which grin irritated him more. At least he knew what they were smiling about, now. But no matter how he continued to deny it, it only seemed to make them smile more.

Maybe they were right? No. Nope. Impossible. It couldn't happen. But what else would explain the feeling in his chest? Heartburn… yeah… that's it…

He held his breath as the cab pulled up to the gates, his pacing stopped. Kaoru had suggested he meet them at the train station, but for some reason, the thought of meeting Kotoha's sister was a little daunting. She was, after all, supposed to have been ShinkenYellow. He didn't know Mitsuba, only knew what Kotoha had told them all about her. But Takeru couldn't imagine Mitsuba achieving the things that Kotoha had as ShinkenYellow.

He didn't exhale until he saw her step out of the cab, and then he couldn't inhale again. He knew how to breathe, it was just, at that moment, he couldn't get his lungs to cooperate. Not until a giggle from Kaoru broke him out of his trance. He shot her a glare as the kuroko passed, carrying Kotoha's bag.

He turned back just as Kotoha stopped in front of him. He could have melted in that smile of hers, but he was seriously concentrating to keep his composure.

"Tono-sama… Thank you for letting me stay…"

Takeru knew there was a reply rattling through his head somewhere. He just didn't know where to find it. The only thing he could think of at that moment, was that she called him 'Tono-sama'. That really shouldn't have bothered him as much as it did. That was always what she called him. But… he was always her Lord, wasn't he? That's all he'd ever be.

Hikoma saved the day, coming up beside Kotoha, wrapping a welcoming arm around her. "This is always a home away from home for any of you, Kotoha. I've got your old room set up. And we got Mako's room set up for your sister…"

Takeru shot him a glare that pretty much said, '_Trying too hard, Jii… making things worse… BUTT OUT!' _He really didn't want to think about Mitsuba staying with them, also. Not that he was against it, but he was already having a hard time with smiles and giggles from Kaoru and Hikoma, he didn't need to catch hell from Mitsuba, as well. Though, in all fairness, he was probably just being paranoid about that. But still… he didn't need Hikoma rubbing it in.

Kotoha smiled that shy smile of hers, and any annoyance that Takeru had was just gone. He couldn't help but smile back. And, damn it, if he didn't realize that it wasn't a vassal he missed, it was Kotoha… that infectious smile, that childlike innocence. And he most certainly noticed that she'd done some growing since he last saw her. She was becoming a young woman. Her taste had matured along with the rest of her. The knee-socks and pigtails had been replaced with a sleeveless sundress, yellow, of course, and very elegant curls in her dark locks. And was she wearing make-up?

It reminded him, very much, of the time in which she pretended to be the fiancé of one of Genta's customers. He hadn't showed it, but the only reason he had allowed it was because he could keep an eye on her. He was actually quite happy to serve as her butler. Anything to be near her. He would have been happy if that were to be his role for the rest of his life.

He could only imagine what she'd felt when she stood on top of that bench, slapping him across the face. He'd seen the tears in her eyes as she shouted at him. Her apologies continued for weeks after that fight. As adorable as they were, he knew the meaning. She'd been uncomfortable being catered to. Understandable, it wasn't something she was used to, coming from the country. But Takeru understood. She was uncomfortable with her LORD catering to her. Her Lord. That's all he'd ever be.

Takeru was pulled from his thoughts when she finally spoke.

"That's not necessary, Jii-san. The doctors have her set up in a room at the hospital so that they can observe her. I'm not comfortable in hospitals. She said it'd be alright if I stayed here…" Her smile was an uncomfortable one, as she watched Takeru. Takeru wondered what was going through her mind. He knew he messed up somewhere with this meeting. He knew he needed to say something, but he couldn't put anything into words, an awkward smile was the best he could do.

Hikoma removed his arm from around her shoulders, clapping his hands together with a nod before wandering off to give new orders to the kuroko. Kaoru gave him a swat on the back of the head with her fan as he passed, which drew Kotoha's attention and she smiled again as she ran up to Kaoru, bowing.

"Oh, Hime-sama! I didn't know you were going to be here…"

Her voice trailed off while she talked with Kaoru. Takeru wasn't really listening as he just watched her interact with Kaoru. His smile gone. It was Mitsuba's idea for Kotoha to stay at the mansion… What did that mean? Would Kotoha even have visited if Mitsuba hadn't said anything? And how easily she bypassed him to speak with Kaoru… Did she miss him at all?

Kaoru gave him a brief glance, as if to say, '_We're going to have to work on your people skills…'_

He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. He realized it. Yup. He'd fallen in love with the little yellow samurai. And he was beginning to understand why he'd denied it for so long. It wasn't possible. He was Lord, she was his vassal. That's all she saw, right?

Damn it…


	3. One Step at a Time

Author's Note: On to Part III! I'm not sure about this chapter so please give me your thoughts! I was halfway through the chapter, then took a break, then kinda rushed through the second half. Please give me your thoughts on it! I love hearing from you guys!

Saurai Sentai: Shinkenger

I'll Always Be Your Lord

Part III - One Step at a Time

Takeru realized he'd made a mistake, somewhere. He just didn't exactly know what it was, yet. But, clearly, he had done something to hurt Kotoha, or disappoint her, at the very least. Kaoru had completely abandoned them just before dinner and Takeru just didn't know what to do. Dinner was spent in silence, which was usually the way he preferred it. But with Kotoha there, it was just awkward. Especially with them both avoiding each other's gazes.

Takeru couldn't help but keep raising his eyes to look at her, but he never caught her trying to do the same. In fact, she kept her head low so that those lovely curls fell around her face just so that he couldn't see her eyes. But he could see the frown on her lips, and he noted that she hardly touched her food. Neither did he, but he had a reason. What was hers?

His brows furrowed slightly with concern. Had she been…? She's been crying. He could see faint traces where her makeup had been smudged, and there were smears on the napkin lying in her lap.

He'd made her cry. And the worst part was he didn't even know what it was that he did, or didn't do…

"Kotoha…," he started, but he didn't exactly know what to say. He wanted to say something. Apologize would have been the most obvious option, but what the hell was he apologizing for?!

"Please, excuse me, Tono-sama…" She didn't even wait for a response before she was on her feet, running out the door, leaving a very confused Takeru staring at the spot where she'd been sitting.

He was pretty sure if Kaoru were there, she'd be beating him over the head, repeatedly, with the oversized fan she had reserved for Tanba. He knew he'd done something wrong, just by the look on Hikoma's face as he walked in, arms folded.

"What did I do?"

"Tono…" Hikoma did his best not to facepalm as he sighed. He couldn't really blame Takeru, there were certain things in life that he hadn't really explained to Takeru. Girls were one of them. But he had hoped living with Mako and Kotoha for so long would have taught him SOMETHING about women. Perhaps he'd been giving his Lord too much credit about his powers of observation.

"I'm not saying a word… you figure it out…" Hikoma gave his lord a smile, waving at him to follow Kotoha.

* * *

For what seemed like an hour, Takeru looked, but couldn't find Kotoha. She wasn't in her bedroom, or anywhere else in the house. She wasn't in the training area, not that she'd be there, anyway. He knew, though, with as upset as she seemed to have been, there was only one possibility. And he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard it… one of the saddest flute melodies he thought he'd ever hear. And he found her, sitting on a rock, the same rock she had always sat on to play her flute when she needed to express herself.

He felt a knot in his stomach, knowing he was the one that made her song so sad, but not knowing exactly what he did to make her cry. It was frustrating. A part of him wanted to just give her space and let her cry it out, but he knew that would only hurt her more. Even if he didn't know what he did to make her cry, it was obvious he had to do what he could to make her stop.

He was tentative in his approach, scared to death of what he was going to say, realizing that he hadn't said anything at all to her since she stepped out of the cab.

Maybe that was his mistake…? At least, it was one of them… He hadn't said hello, hadn't complimented her on how beautiful she looked, though in all honesty, he missed the pigtails and the knee socks… The only smile he'd given her was an awkward one, and he knew he'd given her better ones in the past… But all this wasn't enough to make her cry, was it…?

"Kotoha…"

He hadn't realized he said her name until she dropped her flute, fumbling to catch it before it hit the ground and spin to face him at the same time. What ended up happening was both she and the flute hit the ground.

Her voice trembled as she apologized, attempting to get to her feet, which he noticed was a more difficult task than it should have been. This wasn't Kotoha's usual clumsiness. It was obvious that she wasn't used to wearing the heeled sandals that matched her sundress.

It made Takeru wonder as he held his hand out to help. He made another observation when she finally looked up at him as she tentatively took his hand. The make-up smudges that he'd observed at dinner were gone, cleaned away. And it looked like she had attempted to reapply it, but it didn't look nearly as neat as it had been when he first saw her.

She wasn't used to wearing the heels, she wasn't well practiced in make-up application…

Had she gotten all dressed up just for him…? How stupid could he be for not having noticed that earlier? While he didn't know, yet, how he was going to fix that, he at least realized his mistake. He smiled that awkward smile as she finally got to her feet, but it didn't remain as he noticed her shiver in the night air.

"Tono-sama… Gomen… I shouldn't have run out on dinner like that…"

She stopped with a surprised gasp as he did something he didn't think he'd do. He pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her small shoulders, lending her his warmth. Really, he just wanted to hold her, he didn't know why. Maybe it would say everything he felt like he needed to, but couldn't. Maybe it would help stop her tears. He didn't know. All he knew was that something just felt… right… when he felt her relax in his arms.

"Welcome home, Kotoha…," he finally said as he looked down to her.

"Tono-sama…" Her voice was soft, a little shaky, but the smile she gave him was all he wanted to see.

Maybe… maybe something was possible here… He'd always be her lord… but maybe that's not all he could be…


End file.
